Combat Medics in 1.2: We heard them, let them hear us.

[RuQu]

The Developers just nerfed the hell out of Combat Medics, while leaving the class everyone considered OP untouched. Apparently Sages are the only healers in their eyes.

 

We hear you, Bioware. Loud and clear.

 

I suggest every Combat Medic, every friend of a Combat Medic, and anyone with a real interest in decent class balance cancel their subscription, and cite the 1.2 notes as the reason.

 

You can still play after you cancel. If they correct this terrible mistake, you can always resubscribe with no effect. If you are just doing it as a sign of solidarity, you can always resubscribe next week.

 

Nothing speaks louder than $$ to them. These proposed changes are a travesty, and should never touch the live servers. Send that message loud and clear.

 

121 days until my sub is up. I hope they can see the light before then...I really liked this game.

[themessage]

Signed, I just cancelled my subscription. The combat medic could have stood a small decrease to overall healing output, but they have systematically destroyed our rotation, and I cannot even fathom how to piece one together that can deal with any burst damage situation be it pve or pvp.

[raesti]

oh but they did nerf sages/sorcerer. still try it out before ya knock it. never know

[RuQu]

oh but they did nerf sages/sorcerer. still try it out before ya knock it. never know

 

I would have a lot more luck trying it if they allowed us to copy character to the PTS, or offered pre-made 50s on PTS, or had vendors that could level you up on PTS...

 

Pretty sure by the time I can get another Commando to 50 on the PTS it will be too late.

 

And let's look at that Sage/Sorc nerf:

 

Compare these two sections of proposed patch notes:

Seer

 

1. Confound now refreshes properly when Weaken Mind is refreshed.
   
2. Conveyance no longer unintentionally allows its buff to be applied to more than one healing ability. Its effects have been slightly redesigned. It now increases the critical chance of Benevolence by 60% and reduces the Force cost of Deliverance by 30%.
   
3. Egress now requires Preservation instead of Valiance.
   
4. Resplendence no longer removes the health cost from Noble Sacrifice.
   
5. Salvation's tooltip now correctly mentions that this ability affects a maximum of 8 targets. The ability's functionality has not changed.
   
6. A display issue that caused the first and second tick of Salvation to appear on top of each other has been corrected.
   

 

Let's look at what these mean to a healer, starting with Sages.

1. Irrelevant
   
2. Bug Fix
   
3. Trivial since both were skills every Seer takes. Logical shift since both Preservation and Egress improve Force Armor and Valiance doesn't. No net effect.
   
4. Minor nerf. Puts some limit on Noble Sacrifice usage but many Sages will use NS without the Resplendence buff because standing in their own AoE makes the health hit irrelevant.
   
5. Tooltip update
   
6. Graphic bug fix
   

 

Summary: minor nerf to Noble Sacrifice

 

vs:

 

Combat Medic

1. Field Training now increases critical chance by 1% per point.
   
2. Field Triage now reduces the cost of Medical Probe by 1 (down from 2).
   
3. Kolto Bomb now affects up to 4 targets (up from 3), improving reliability in group and Operation situations.
   
4. Kolto Residue now increases all healing received by 3% (down from 5%).
   
5. Psych Aid no longer reduces the cost of Field Aid. It now causes Field Aid to heal the target for a small amount.
   
6. Supercharge Cells now restores 1 Energy Cell (down from 2) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Bomb now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).
   
7. Trauma Probe now costs 2 Energy Cells to activate.
   

 

What it means for Commandos:

1. Nerf 3% less Crit Chance
   
2. Giant nerf. 33% increase (from 3 Ammo to 4) in our core efficient rotation cost and a huge HPS hit to neutral rotations. While AP/MP/HS used to be neutral, AP/MP/HS/HS still comes out short 0.1 Ammo
   
3. Very minor KB buff. A 4 player cap with no smart healing is still extremely flawed. The existence of caps on non-smart AoE was at the core of Scoundrel KC complaints as well.
   
4. Nerf
   
5. Nerf. While making Psych Aid add a heal instead of reduced cost would be fine alone, coupled with all of the other increased costs, this comes out to a nerf.
   
6. HUGE nerf.
   
7. Large nerf.
   

[Dayfax]

Supercharge Cells now restores 1 Energy Cell (down from 2) when used and increases all damage and healing dealt by 5% (down from 10%). The shield applied by Kolto Bomb now reduces damage taken by 5% (down from 10%).

 

This is the one that seriously bums me out. This was a clutch ability to me, and now it's more expensive and half as useful.

 

I simply don't understand why they thought these level of changes were necessary.

[schwiz]

not canceling my sub just yet, luckily my alt was a scoundrel and is now the best healer in the game. Won't be touching my commando though, full rakata and worthless to bring as either a healer or dps now. Its a shame I really liked my commando.

 

 

 

This is the one that seriously bums me out. This was a clutch ability to me, and now it's more expensive and half as useful.

 

I simply don't understand why they thought these level of changes were necessary.

 

Yep this is the over reach for me too, I would take a 3 person kolto bomb over this crap any day.

Edited March 17, 2012 by schwiz

[namelless]

2. is actually a nerf rather than a bug fix, it fixes the bug, but it also changes the original effect to something much less desirable, so it's a nerf.

 

That being said i feel for you combat medics, you've been hit very hard.

Edited March 17, 2012 by namelless

[Caladax]

I just don't get why the huge number of nerfs were necessary. Without combat logs, it's tough to say if medics were op or not, but this level of nerf seems over the top. A reduction in healing output would be one thing, but coupled with very large ammo cost increases seems like it will ruin our effectiveness.

 

Also, the change to kolto bomb seems worthless. Make it hit eight, or make it a smart heal.

 

When nerfing a class this much, they really need to give some feedback, and discuss it in the class forum. I had no idea we were so OP before. I liked our rotation, and the general feel of the class, but I don't think I was more useful then our sage.

[LillyWhiteS]

Stuff that,

 

/signed and will cancel once I finish the class story on a couple alts I have ( BH/Sorc ), last nail in the coffin, heck I might just rush the BH as it's further along and not give em another month.

 

No way I am putting up with all those nerfs, while the beloved Sage/Sorc goes even further ahead with these ott nerfs, thats right even further, nice Balancing from the incompetent devs....

 

It's bad enough we have a weaker shield, no interrupt, no in combat sprint, in combat res, far weaker aoe etc and now this just increases the gap even further.

Edited March 17, 2012 by LillyWhiteS

[Dayfax]

Stuff that,

 

/signed and will cancel once I finish the class story on a couple alts I have ( BH/Sorc ), last nail in the coffin, heck I might just rush the BH as it's further along and not give em another month.

 

No way I am putting up with all those nerfs, while the beloved Sage/Sorc goes even further ahead with these ott nerfs, thats right even further, nice Balancing from the incompetent devs....

 

It's bad enough we have a weaker shield, no interrupt, no in combat sprint, in combat res, far weaker aoe etc and now this just increases the gap even further.

 

I hear ya. But if it makes you feel any better, Sage/Sorcs got hit hard too. Their primary means of regaining force after burst healing is getting killed completely.

[Garic_Wildstar]

oh but they did nerf sages/sorcerer. still try it out before ya knock it. never know

 

The change to Noble Sacrifice is NOWHERE near the nerf Combat Medics got. I wouldnt even call that a nerf, more a balance so Sages actually can run out of of force. Sages have no idea what being nerfed is.

 

As for my sub, its funny. I re-subbed to EQ2 yesterday because I was bored with this game and wanted a small change until 1.2 came out. Then they released these patch notes. I'm subbed for 6 months but if this goes through then I won't be re-subbing. All I play are Troopers/BH's, dont care about Jedi or Scoundrels. I do have a Gunslinger but until they remove the Cover requirements for abilities... just not fun being forced to be a turret. I guess I will just wait for the next space mmo.

[Garic_Wildstar]

I hear ya. But if it makes you feel any better, Sage/Sorcs got hit hard too. Their primary means of regaining force after burst healing is getting killed completely.

 

Explain how. Noble Sacrifice still works as intended. They just cannot stand there and spam it. If only Recharge Cells was available after every Trauma Probe. Or if we got 500-600 pool points instead of 12. The only hit they got was losing health which is how the ability reads anyway. It's a hit but they were not "hit hard". Being hit hard would have been all their healing powers costing double, having their force pool cut in half, and Rejuv's procs being reduced. That would be about the same hit hard that Commandos got.

Edited March 17, 2012 by Garic_Wildstar

[Parali]

Greetings Combat Medics,

 

We know that a lot of players are eager to discuss the upcoming changes to your class. We are asking everyone to please join that conversation, already in progress, here:

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=363853

 

We will be closing this thread now. Thank you for your feedback and your help in keeping these forums a bit more organized and user-friendly for your fellow Troopers!